Trending
CANFIELD -- The Canfield Board of Education took the first step toward getting its bond issue back on the ballot in March.
The next few weeks will determine what that will look like.
"I don't think our problems are going away," board Vice President Nader Atway said.
Superintendent Joe Knoll said he was disappointed in the outcome of the election, as 60% of voters went against the bond issue.
"Our buildings are not getting any better," Knoll said. "Whatever direction the board gives me, I'll go at it 100%."
The board held an open discussion on what to do next. Knoll said the board would need to pass a "special needs" resolution to be able to go back on the ballot. He said the deadline for that resolution is Dec. 12.
District Treasurer Pattie Prince added the special needs declaration is a board approved resolution that allows the district to borrow in excess of 9% of its evaluation, known as the statutory debt limitation. The limit for Canfield is around $65.4 million.
Board member David Wilkeson said there are two options.
"Option one is around $50 million to put new roofs and make repairs on all four buildings," he said. "Option two would be to build a new middle school and put roofs and make foundation repairs on the other three buildings."
Wilkeson said the band-aid repairs the district has been making have exceeded the annual budget and have costed close to a million per year.
Knoll said the present situation of having state funding does not go away until next November's election.
"I encourage you guys to move faster than slower," levy committee member Lex Calder said. "We are ready to jump back in. I think a scaled- back option is the only way to go."
Another issue the board discussed was the change in board seats for 2024. Wilkeson said he and Bob Smallwood would not be on the board Jan. 1, 2024. He said the newly elected board members (Betsy Ahlquist and Steve DeMaiolo) will be dealing with a bond levy that has to be ready by Dec. 12.
"I think the new board members should weigh-in on this," he said.
The special needs resolution is the first step, but the board will have to come up with a plan and amount by the deadline.
Atway said it will take a few special meetings to determine what is needed, but no meetings have been planned.